...................ah!

my christian louboutin's

Most of you know I work on my feet all day.Four years ago I tore my plantar fascia wearing gorgeous little shoes all summer while at work. Things changed for me when it came to shoe shopping, a passion of mine (
I went from Chicago Soles to the Walking Company in 0.5 seconds, very painful.
I wear Scandinavian surgeon  clogs  (Sanita) during the winter months, as a frequent costumer every December I get a sneak peak at their summer collection of orthopedic sandals! Yeepy! I must say they get better and better every year, they are truly comfortable and the colors make me feel like I still remain a part of the rest of the female population.
So I make a big deal out of my picks, I look at upcoming fashion I ask friends and then I decide on a few pair.
Every Christmas my mom sends me gift cards to the Walking Company, I reorder and every end of February Dough my UPS guy brings them to my door :)
I thought I share my excitement and my orthopedic picks with you! I just got them today! Do you have any suggestions?

Don't forget to get the Silver Ion sandal freshener/cleaner, it's a must.

the wOnderment switch

Not sure why, when or how. One day I started experiencing a heighten scene of wonderment . I've always got pleasure out of small little oddities but not like this...it is strange and intense, I can only describe it as a switch that was on, but not at full throttle. My first theory was that as time goes by and I loose more of my eggs,I make more room for wonderment :)
Now I have a new theory,  I think we are born with a heighten scene of wonderment and as we get older we loose most of it with troubles, worries and responsibilities and then God reminds us again  what we are missing out on when we are blessed with kids. I don't have children~ But I have LuLu now and she came packed full of it and I'm so grateful! Can't get enough of it grateful. I'll be traveling to Florida next week to meet David. He is being born as we speak, am so excited, I can't wait to hold him and and smell him and to hold my brother and tell him how proud I am of him...you see he has been waiting patiently for nine years to be recharged with wonderment and today is the day. I'm soooo happy for all of us!Our last name continues with him and so does the wonderment :)  Do you have a theories you like to share?

Psalm 37:7 - Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.

red

I'll be gone for a few days of l-o-v-e.....flower love. See you soon.

a different continent just around the corner

 Out with the girls Monday I continued my stepping out of the box this year. I choose an Algerian Kafe for lunch.:)

Icosium Kafe is located at 5200 N Clark in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. 

 LOve loVE this little place! It's going on my fab list. The atmosphere pulls you in! It's a creperie and it's sooo difficult to pick, it all sounds fabulous.

I had hand made apricot iced tea, a vegetable puree soup and the Chicago Crepe~ Avocados, sundried tomato tapanade , cilantro, munster cheese, an organic mix of fresh greens, scallions and sun flower seeds.

MmmMmM! Can't wait to go back! You should try it!

life art

My first new craft of the year (#8) "Life Art Drawing" always wanted to do it but never did, too shy maybe...?

Nothing better then twenty 3 other women that haven't done it, to loosen you up a bit and make you feel comfortable. It was so much better then what I imagined. As you can see I'm no Michelangelo but I found it easy to concentrate and focus.Can't wait to take a few more classes and learn more.

The MoRniNg after #2

After a while of playing with the cuzzes, I brought Louise in and chipped the ice from her nose. She looked out the window and cried, My family is out there!
I got ready physically and mentally, to venture out to work. I have a shop...a flower shop and today I had a funeral to deliver. I prayed the family would postpone it but it did not happened.
We left on our expedition camera in hand and  I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the roads where. The streets where almost empty of cars, the sun was shinning and melting the blinding snow. Hard to believe last night was so treacherous.

leaving our neighborhood

maple ave

i wish i had a truck like this for the summer

downtown lemont

we have been waiting since the spring for this place to open, the day after a blizzard, Ah! a SigN of life! ice-cream! 

The MoRniNg after #1

You...yes you...get closer, I'm going to whisper the whole blog post. The feeling outside is quiet and muffled. I feel so good out here.Clean and crisp. They promised snow fall and did they ever deliver.

I sprang out of bed at 6:30 AM and looked out the window....in aw I explained to Louise what I saw, we put on our blizzard outfits and out we went. She looked confused her potty spot was no longer there.
We found a new one and we went on to explore.
As we turned the corner to the back of our home, I heard laughter, we share BIG woods with neighbors, Louise was beside herself. Cousins!!! 

cousin bell

cousin andy

cousin lou

cousins billy and bob

and cousin maggie

Blizzard Of Twenty 11

We left the shop early  today, it was getting white pretty fast and the wind was picking up, I put a sign on the door just in case we wake up to mountains of white.

A 15 minute ride became 1 hour long, Louise soon became annoyed.  

All sorts of cars were sporting plows, ready to make some extra cash. I lost Louise to a deep snore half an hour in. The radio is telling me the airports are closed, all schools will closed tomorrow, traffic out of the city is impossible and  the Fairmont Hotel has rooms for $100 for all those stranded in the city. For a few seconds I day dream of Louise and I in plush white robes over looking a snowy city. :)

 

 

An hour later we got home and made a fire to warm up. I have to admit  I feel like a kid and hope we are buried in snow when I wake up tomorrow morning. Can't wait! Till then~

I need your help!

 

 So I need your help! Someone please! I came across this....mmmm...via Cannelle et Vanille and I can't have it, remember the whole doc Margatrite thing ,well...no sugar for me...for a while. So I need someone to make this and describe it in detail, come on, who will take one for the team? and if you are going to do it, I need you to do it right, perfect crusty bread, good chocolate and the sweetest of olive oils. I'll be waiting :)

Chocolate, Olive Oil and Fleur de Sel Bocadillo

1 crusty baguette
2 70% cacao chocolate bars
2 tsp organic arbequina olive oil or any good quality extra virgin olive oil you like
Couple of pinches of fleur de sel
Cut the baguette in half and toast it under the broiler. Remove it from the broiler, drizzle some olive oil and place the chocolate on top of the bread. Place it back in the broiler for 5 seconds so the chocolate warms up a bit but remember that we don't want to melt the chocolate! Remove from the oven and finish it with the salt. Open your mouth big and eat right away!

this inspires me everyday

The best winter Thursday EVER!!!

Today was an amazing snowy day...Louise and I left work in the middle of the day, cuppa tea and camera in hand, we headed out to the horse pastures up the road, and we hit the nosy horse mother load. He came right up to us and said hi. Such gentle giants. They made my week.

 

A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT

As of lately I've been inspired by a few people and I'm trying to live with less and purge some stuff. So I'm pledging  not to buy myself a single stitch of anything until September, not a single THING, only experiences. I will travel, I will buy toiletries, and food, take a class or two or three, but I will not acquire  any material possessions.
I will however like to put a clause on this experiment/contract: If  by any freak chance I become a size 2, I'll be allowed to get one pair of jeans and a shirt, and if George Clooney walks up to me and asks me out on a date I will have to buy a new outfit, go for laser cellulite removal , hair AND make up.....and if he asks me to marry him before September I will need a wedding dress, the proper clothing to wear around our Villa in Lake Como and a Vespa...listen! this is my dream and I want a Vespa in it!

Picture found here.

 Anyone care to join me, with this or another social experiment?

Save the earth! It's the only one with chocolate!

So I started recycling at home, this cute little basket does the trick.
I'm still trying to figure out how to set it up at work, but we are making some good strides :)  Thanks everyone for all the great email suggestions! #26

I got $20 on Margarite

It is fair to say that I internalize my stress . I've always felt like I must be everything to everyone at all times. It's no secret that the past 12 years I have been completely consumed and in~love with my job and the people I serve. No mater how hard I've pushed this body of mine, it has worked for me, supported me and preformed for me without holding grudges, always with a smile and all of this with minimal maintenance.

I remember when I turned 16 my dad gave me my first car, his  1979 Chevy Caprice limited addition, it was perfect, it could fit 9 of us girls on a Saturday night out dancing at the Prime and Tender :), he also made sure to get me an converter  for the a~track player, so I could play my Modonna cassette tapes, and he said to me " You are now responsible for this car, as long as you make sure you keep up with the oil changes and pay for your insurance you should be Ok". I think all these years I felt the same way about my body, I got health insurance, got my teeth cleaned every six months , went to the gynnie once a year and pushed myself to the limits. Everything was great  until a few years ago, a few things started breaking down , I thought...."Oh these late 30's are starting to show wear and tear".After all, a group of friend that was a bit older had gone through it, but I soon noticed there were too many little things and I began to wonder what was going on~

Here is my girl....she was a beaut

 A friend of mine suggested I get a primary doctor, and she told me they had one in the woman's clinic where her obgyn was, that all the doctors worked together, I could get test done there, they had a spa.It sounded perfect! I went to see the doctor  for my yearly female exam, the space was lovely and they had flowers on the counter, that is all I needed to see, SOLD! 
The very first time something did go wrong with me and I really needed someone to listen to my concerns and symptoms, the doctor suggested it was in my head and asked if I wanted something for my anxiety, I explained to her that I felt like I was dying and that if I was going to dye I wanted to have a clear head so I could properly express to all of those who  have helped and loved me how much I loved them! She looked at me  and said IF you want I can order some blood work, I said I WANT!
A nurse called me five days later to tell me everything looked great and so it was just easier for me to pretend I was Ok and I just kept pushing myself as usual. Honestly I have no clue why when it comes to my body or health I loose every bit of back bone or assertiveness~ maybe because I was taught that I should respect doctors and I should always wear good socks and underwear when I go for a visit....not sure why really, but I kept going to this woman just so she could continue to belittle me, under mind me,and  rush me out. I even started thinking I was the problem and brought a friend into the exam room so she could tell me if I was crazy or if my doctor was. I choose my friend Michelle, she is my go-to girl, for when I need to be told the brutal truth, she can shake me like no other. If you don't have one of these, you should get one. We went in, Dr said hello and  "why are you here today?". I told her, I still don't feel right, my left hand gets numb, I can't stop clenching my jaw, I'm loosing hair in clumps, my blood sugar drops real low, I have low blood pressure, I have a pain under my right breast every time I eat and several other things I will spare you from...YOU... not the doctor. She said to me, "Well there is only a certain amount of time allotted per visit and this is too much to deal with." I looked at Michelle with  my eyes welling up with tears and she signed with her index finger going across her neck  "I am going to KILL you!" .I knew right there and them, the one who really needed help in the room was my doctor.

I never went back~ I still owe her $200 hundred dollars for that last visit, I'll probably pay her when it's time to buy a house or a car and it shows up on my credit score.... am still angry :)

Not to long ago I hurt my back and it was taking longer then usual to get back on my feet, at my wit's end, I followed the advice of another friend and went to see her chiropractor Dr Margarite, I checked in and was given the same chart you have to fill out at a first doctor's visit, but more detailed, 8 pages.
Doctor came out herself to greet me and take me in, she was young and earthy, very smiley and welcoming, she went through my answers and asked me so many questions I felt I needed to ask for a life line! After a 2 1/2 hour appointment, she said to me , "It is my believe that your adrenal system is exhausted  and not working properly and with your permission I would like to help you change that" I said YES please!
She changed my diet, changed my breathing, she's drowning me in water, and makes me focus on feelings I have been avoiding for 39 years every time she adjusts me. It has only been a hand full of visits, I feel like a million dollars but I only pay $75 for over 2 hours and she takes my insurance. She is also an acupuncturist, and kinesiologist, specializing in woman's health and nutrition.Oh and apparently she has a masters in listening.
So for now I will file this one under # 38  (I'll be kinder to myself). What about you? What have your experiences been like?....with eastern or western medicine.